Roadways typically have markings painted thereon to delineate lanes for traffic movement, as well as safety zones for passing vehicles. The white or yellow paint is usually applied by a moving truck or similar mobile device using a pressurized system to spray solid or broken lines ranging from 4-8 inches wide onto the road surface. This prior art road striping equipment also normally includes a bead applicator positioned immediately behind the paint spray nozzle or gun which applies a stream of small diameter glass beads or reflective particles onto the paint. The beads stick to the wet paint, and reflect light from vehicle headlights back toward the vehicle during nighttime driving so as to enhance visibility of the painted line. In the traditional paint and bead application process, the paint striper truck moves at 8-12 miles per hour. This forward velocity of the truck produces a forward velocity for the dispensed beads, which tend to roll in the paint, thereby causing the bead to be partially or completely covered with paint, thereby reducing or eliminating the light which is reflected by the beads.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,259 attempts to solve the bead rolling problem by discharging the beads in a rearward direction using a fluid assisted dispenser so that the reflective particles are ejected at substantially the same velocity that the striper truck or vehicle is moving forwardly, but in the opposite direction, so that the relative velocity of the beads as they hit the pavement is close to zero. However, the device of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,259 patent does not have the ability to adjust the particle dispenser as the speed of the striper vehicle varies. Therefore, the zero relative velocity of the beads can be achieved at only one vehicle speed.
Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved road striping vehicle which dispenses reflective beads into wet road stripe paint at a relative zero velocity, regardless of the vehicle speed.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved road striping vehicle which applies paint and reflective particles to the road at varying speeds.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a road striping vehicle which utilizes a pair of opposing rollers to dispense glass beads into freshly sprayed paint on the road.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a road striping vehicle having rollers for dispensing reflective beads into road stripe paint, wherein the speed of the rollers can be adjusted so as to correspond to the speed of the vehicle.
Still another objective of the present invention is an improved method for applying reflective beads to a painted road stripe so as to eliminate or minimize rolling of the beads in the paint.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the method of applying a reflective line onto a road wherein a paint stripe is applied and then reflective beads are dispensed into the wet paint with substantially zero horizontal velocity.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved road striping vehicle which is economical to manufacture, and which is efficient, effective, accurate and durable in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.